Week 8, Day 1, goodbye Grandma Tanioka

Earlier this week I received notice that my last surviving grandparent had passed away. She had been suffering from age related dementia and the time had come where her body simply ceased to survive. I am happy that she is at peace. She, like others of her generation the Issei, was tough as nails and sacrificed much of her own personal dreams and passions so that her children and her children's children would have better opportunities than her.

Growing up in Southern California, my exposure to my grandparents on both sides was limited to summer visits since they were still in Hawaii, the birthplace of both of my parents. I have fuzzy recollections of Grandma Tanioka coming home in the morning after working nights cleaning the floors at the local sugar cane plantation. I have fond memories of spending summers at their house (after she and my grandfather had retired) with my brother while we worked a summer job at our Uncle's orchid farm. That such a nice lady could have so much toughness while never once passing on a hint of bitterness to impressionable young children is simply amazing. It's probably a gross over-simplification but there's a phrase in Japanese, "shikata ga nai" that translates to "it cannot be helped". I don't know if stoicism in the face of circumstances outside one's control is the explanation but I never saw her with anything but a smile.

I expect I will travel back to Hawaii for a memorial service in the coming weeks and it will be good to see family and celebrate her life.

Grandma Tanioka and her first grandchild (me)

Knowing that I'll skip a week of training when I go back to Hawaii for Grandma T, I figured I'd go ahead and belt up for squats. I was getting a bit bored of remedial work and I wanted to load up a little more weight. Plus I wanted to test my knee to make sure it wasn't going to cause any more issues. Despite Grandma T's passing, my heart wasn't heavy because I knew she was finally at peace. I am more saddened for my mother and my aunts and uncle who have to say goodbye to their mother.

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